Search below for stories about ships, lighthouses, sailors and anything else about life on Lake Michigan. The database contains references to articles from the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record (June 12, 1873 to Jan. 7, 1927), the Door County Advocate (Nov. 8, 1861 to Dec. 22, 1949), and the Manitowoc Pilot (June 14, 1859 to Dec. 28, 1899). The results will direct you to the date and page in these newspapers where the article can be found.
Microfilm copies of the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record are available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, Algoma Public Library in Algoma. Microfilm copies of the Door County Advocate are available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, the Door County Public Library in Sturgeon Bay, and the Brown County Library in Green Bay. Microfilm of the Manitowoc Pilot are available at the Manitowoc County Historical Society, the Manitowoc Public Library, and the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison.
Check with your local library about obtaining the microfilm via interlibrary loan.
| Newspaper | Object | Name | Date | Page | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | John Plankinton | 1893-11-30 | 3 | Became disabled in storm. Picked up by City of Paris but the tow line parted. | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | John Plankinton | 1918-01-17 | 1 | Sunk in the Detroit River in collision | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | John Plankinton | 1917-07-26 | 1 | Engine can be saved | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | John Plankinton | 1893-03-30 | 3 | To Chicago to load grain. Then to Milwaukee to await opening of navigation | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | John Plankinton | 1910-06-23 | 1 | Loading grain at South Chicago | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | John Plankinton | 1917-08-30 | 1 | Wreck removed from Detroit river | |
| Door County Advocate | Freighter | John Plankinton | 1917-05-17 | 1 | Collided in Detroit river with Grand Turk ferry - Plankinton sank | |
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | John Plankton | 1893-05-13 | 5 | Hauling grain + coal | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Steamer | John Pridgeon | 1 | In with 1650 tons of hard coal, first of coal laden fleet to arrive. | ||
| Door County Advocate | Steamer | John Pridgeon Jr. | 1909-09-23 | 1 | Wrecked on Lake Erie |
This database is a cooperative effort of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA), the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS), and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. The project is spearheaded by WUAA member Russel Leitz, who helped develop a framework for the database and painstakingly combed through 54 years of the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record, 87 years of the Door County Advocate and 40 years of the Manitowoc Pilot for maritime news. The more than 50,000 references are the fruit of his labor alone.